= Modern Fairy Tales The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block is a collection of short stories that are modern re-tellings of fairy tales in Block's unmistakable style.
“Beauty loved him more than anything, her Beast boy, but, secretly, she wished that he would have remained a Beast”-Beast
"Rose Red swallows a trickle of salt in her throat and smiles. This is what is supposed to happen. I am so happy for you. Rose White wants to tell her, maybe he has a friend, you have to stay with us, things don’t have to change that much, but she doesn’t say anything. She knows that things have changed. When Rose Red sets out to leave she holds his hand and lets her go."-Rose
“That is the one thing about her- she has always been able to run. Fast. Not because she is strong or running toward something but because she has learned to run away”-Bones
Contents: 1. Snow: When a young mother feels she can't take care of her young daughter anymore, she hands her over to the gardener, hoping he can offer Snow a better life. The Gardener gives Snow to the seven brothers living in the forest. 2. Tiny: A girl no larger than a thumb leaves her cozy garden in search of an urban adventure. 3. Glass: A young woman finds herself torn between the love of a man and the loss of her sisters 4. Charm: A beautiful girl with a dark past falls asleep by the prick of a heroine needle. Who will wake her up from the terrible dream? 5. Wolf: A girl sexually abused by her step father runs away through the barren desert to find sanctuary at her grandmother's house. 6. Rose: Two best friends find themselves at a crossroads in the friendship. 7. Bones: A runaway finds herself in a beautiful mansion with beautiful people and is seduced by a man named Blue. But beautiful mansions hold hideous secrets. 8. Beast: A girl given to the Beast by her father learns more about herself and relationships then she ever could in the safety of her home. 9. Ice: A young woman feels the devastation of losing the one she loves to a woman who is more beautiful than she could ever be.
These modern re-tellings are gaining popularity with the young adult audience because even though they are considered too old to be reading fairy tales, they can get away with reading the familiarity of the fairy tale in a whole new way. Block creates her fairtytales in the modern world, relating the stories to issues that teens face or are familiar with.
Block found a way to tap into the realities of today in tales that used to feel like they took place in a far away land. She has reinvigorated the young adult sub-genre of modern fairytales. Block’s tales—whether new or old—remain as familiar as they always were through her careful crafting and understanding of the young adult and the trials that they face" (Evensen 7). LINKS
Francesca Lia Block's website: Francesca Lia Block
Harper Teen's Overview of The Rose and the Beast: Harper Teen
-Includes Synopsis, author interview, and more
Modern Fairy Tales
The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block is a collection of short stories that are modern re-tellings of fairy tales in Block's unmistakable style.
“Beauty loved him more than anything, her Beast boy, but, secretly, she wished that he would have remained a Beast”-Beast
"Rose Red swallows a trickle of salt in her throat and smiles. This is what is
supposed to happen. I am so happy for you. Rose White wants to tell her, maybe he has a friend, you have to stay with us, things don’t have to change that much, but she doesn’t say anything. She knows that things have changed. When Rose Red sets out to leave she holds his hand and lets her go."-Rose
“That is the one thing about her- she has always been able to run. Fast. Not because she is strong or running toward something but because she has learned to run away”-Bones
Contents:
1. Snow: When a young mother feels she can't take care of her young daughter anymore, she hands her over to the gardener, hoping he can offer Snow a better life. The Gardener gives Snow to the seven brothers living in the forest.
2. Tiny: A girl no larger than a thumb leaves her cozy garden in search of an urban adventure.
3. Glass: A young woman finds herself torn between the love of a man and the loss of her sisters
4. Charm: A beautiful girl with a dark past falls asleep by the prick of a heroine needle. Who will wake her up from the terrible dream?
5. Wolf: A girl sexually abused by her step father runs away through the barren desert to find sanctuary at her grandmother's house.
6. Rose: Two best friends find themselves at a crossroads in the friendship.
7. Bones: A runaway finds herself in a beautiful mansion with beautiful people and is seduced by a man named Blue. But beautiful mansions hold hideous secrets.
8. Beast: A girl given to the Beast by her father learns more about herself and relationships then she ever could in the safety of her home.
9. Ice: A young woman feels the devastation of losing the one she loves to a woman who is more beautiful than she could ever be.
These modern re-tellings are gaining popularity with the young adult audience because even though they are considered too old to be reading fairy tales, they can get away with reading the familiarity of the fairy tale in a whole new way. Block creates her fairtytales in the modern world, relating the stories to issues that teens face or are familiar with.
Block found a way to tap into the realities of today in tales that used to feel like they took place in a far away land. She has reinvigorated the young adult sub-genre of modern fairytales. Block’s tales—whether new or old—remain as familiar as they always were through her careful crafting and understanding of the young adult and the trials that they face" (Evensen 7).
LINKS
Francesca Lia Block's website: Francesca Lia Block
Harper Teen's Overview of The Rose and the Beast: Harper Teen
-Includes Synopsis, author interview, and more